PFF lists Dawand Jones as big riser after performance at Senior Bowl

The 2023 Senior Bowl practices are underway this week in Mobile, Alabama and it’s annually one of the biggest showcases for the top seniors across the college football landscape, as they begin to try and make their NFL dreams come true in the 2023 NFL Draft. Senior Bowl week is always important because plenty of players will see their draft stock rise or slip due to their performance during the practices and the game. One player that has been drawing a ton of positive buzz from NFL scouts and media members this week is former Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones. Standing at 6-foot-8, 360 pounds, Jones is dripping with jaw-dropping physical tools and he caught the attention of PFF this week, including Mike Renner, who named him as the biggest riser.

Check out the video below.

Dawand Jones: Senior Bowl riser @PFF_Mike • @seniorbowl pic.twitter.com/v0dr1GQijD

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 2, 2023

PFF’s Mike Renner is impressed with Dawand Jones

“So, for me, the biggest riser was Dawand Jones, the Ohio State cat. Because heading into this, I was not high on him. He was in the 70s on the PFF Draft Board. I thought he’s a nice guy towards the back end of Day 2 that you just kind of take a shot on and see if he can, maybe evolve into the position. But I think already, he is a much more NFL ready player than I was giving him credit for,” Renner said.

“I think he knows how to work around his athletic limitations better than I gave him credit for. And I think there is a role or a position for him at the NFL level. That he could not even just a starting caliber tackle, he could be a dominant tackle in certain schemes to where if someone wants to take him. I’m not putting him probably in the Top 30 on the draft board. He’s a Top 50 player for sure, and if someone wants to take him on the back end of the first round, I don’t think that’s the craziest draft pick I’ve ever seen,” Renner said on the “It’s Just Football” podcast on Thursday night.

Jones has a freakish wingspan. At the Senior Bowl, his wingspan measured 89.5 inches, which is the longest in Senior Bowl history. If he measures that at this year’s combine, it will be the longest wingspan ever recorded in NFL Draft history. To put it into context, the former Ohio State standout has the wingspan of somebody who is 7-foot-5-inches tall, which is just unbelievable. He’s been manhandling opposing defensive lineman in drills all week. If he keeps it up the rest of the week, Jones should see a well-deserved bump in his draft stock.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.